Among the numerous caricatures of his fellow students that Vincent produced during his stay at the Académie de France in Rome, this red chalk drawing stands out with its unusual half-length framing and the spectacular freedom of definition. The model can be recognised as Anicet Charles-Gabriel Lemonnier (1743-1824), the history painter from Rouen who won the Grand Prix for painting in 1772, and whom Vincent had met at Vien’s studio.
